Transmission control mechanism



March 12, 1940. F. c. B EST TRANSMISSION CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June24, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNZZ V5.

March 12, 1940. F. c. BEST TRANSMISSION CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 24,1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z Z INVENTOR Q! BY A TTORNE Y Patented Mar. 12,1940.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Frank 0. Best, Detroit,

Mich, assignor to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich, acorporation of Michigan Application June 24, 1938, Serial No. 215,571

12 Claims.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and more particularly to changespeed gear mechanism wherein control means can be actuated to establishany one of a plurality of different driving relations.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide actuating means forgear changing mechanism that is substantially entirely out of thepassenger space at the front of the motor vehicle body.

Another object of the invention is to provide gear shifting mechanism inwhich a remote handle can be manipulated to perform all of the shiftingoperations.

A further object of the invention is to provide shift mechanism in whichone of the shift rails serves as a part of the shifting mechanism foranother shift rail.

Still another object of the invention resides in the arrangement andconnection of two mechanisms with a hand lever whereby the lever can bemanipulated without danger of actuating an unintended part of themechanism.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device shown diagrammaticallyin its assembled relation with the motor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a similar type of view as viewed looking forwardly in themotor vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,the gear casing being partly broken away to Show a shifter rail;

,Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4--4 of F .3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

A motor vehicle body is indicated in dotted lines at Ill and has theusual fioor ll, toe board l2, dash l3, and instrument board l4. Asteering column l5 extends into the forward portion of the body and hasfixed to the end thereof steering wheel 55. A power unit is locatedpartly in advance of and partly below the toe board and or gears forselectively changing the speed ratio of the drive between the engineshaft and the propeller shaft in a well known manner. The rails areformed with recesses l9. and a latch pin 29 is slidably carried by thecasing for selective engagement with either recess. The latch is slottedas indicated at 2| and a pin 22 extends across the slot and is engagedby the bifurcated end of an arm 23 that is fixed to a shaft fi lextending through awall of the gear casing. On the outer end of thisshaft 24 is fixed an arm 25, and a coil spring 26 engages the arm 25 andthe gear case to normally hold the latch mechanism so that thelatchmember 20 engages the uppermost of the rails under which conditionthe two high forward driving speeds can be obtained.

Between the forward ends of the rails extends a shifter element 2!having its end portions pivotally connected-with the rails so that whenrocked it swivels on the latched rail and shifts the unlatched rail inan axial direction. The shifter element is preferably formed of a flatpiece of metal having its ends slotted as indicated at 28, and in such;slotted portions of the member blocks 29 are slidably arranged. Theseblocks are pivotally mounted upon bosses 3i fixed to the rails. When theshifter element 2! is rocked it will swivel with block 29 on the boss 39of the latched rail and the member will have some sliding movementrelative to the block. A similar action takes place at the other end ofthe shifter element. In order to rock the shifter element about itsjournal on eitherone of the rails there is an actuator arm 3i fixed tothe inner end of a stub shaft 32 extending into the gearcase ll. .Thisactuator arm is pivotally connected to the shifter member by a pin 33 ata point intermediate the rails. The rotation of the stub shaft 32 willrotate the arm 3| therewith and the arm in turn will swing the shiftermember about its journal on the latched rail thereby transmitting axialmovement to the other rail.

With such selector and shifter mechanisms is associated actuatormeansfor each that extends from beneath the floor of the vehicle body toa point behind the instrument board and provides connections therewithby means of which they can both be actuated by a lever i8 arranged closeto the instrument board and within easy grasp of the vehicle operator.

Extending behind the instrument board and secured thereto in a suitablemanner, such as by welding, are brackets 4i carrying bearings 62 inwhich shaft @3 is mounted. On the outside end of this shaft is fixed anarm 44 that is connected by linkage with a shaft extending parallel withthe shaft 43 beneath the vehicle body. The shafts 45 and 32 areconnected in driving relation by a self-aligning joint consisting of aU-shaped member 41 fixed on the inner end of shaft t and a plate member48 fixed on the outer end of shaft 32, the plate having projectingportions 49 arranged to extend into slots 50 formed in the bent ends ofthe U-member 41. joint the transmission casing can have a considerablemovement without disturbing the alignment of the driving connectionbetween the shafts 32 and 6.5. bracket 5! welded or otherwise secured toa side member 52 of the vehicle frame. Within the U-shaped end of thisbracket 5| is arranged a complementary U-shaped end of the arm 56, theshaft 45 passing through such U-shaped ends. Bolt 53 lies in the loopedend of the arm 55 and engages a recess 54 in the shaft 45 to fix the armwith the shaft. Connected with the forwardly extending ends of the arms56 and His a link 46 having its ends bent to extend through openings insuch arms and secured in operative relation therewith by suitable meanssuch as cotter keys.

As a means for operating the selector a wire 61! is provided that isconnected to the arm 2?: at its lower end and is encased over its majorportion by a flexible housing 6!. Suitable bracket means are providedfor the flexible'casing and one of such bracket means is indicated at 62and is clamped to the rod 43.

As previously stated, the hand lever ill is connected so that it can bemanipulated to actuate either one. of the operating means. Such handlever isprovided with a bent end 63 arranged to extend through anopening 65' in an end of shaft t2! so that it can swivel in such openingin one direction and can be moved in another direction to rotate theshaft. The hand lever is hinged so that it can be moved independently ofthe shaft &3 in a lateral direction to control the selector mechanismand so that it can be moved in a vertical direction to rotate the shaft.the hand lever 40 and the wire 68 is provided connector means 65 in theform of a plate having an opening 64' through which the shaft 43 extendsand an opening through which wire 60 projects. A retainer member 66 isfixed on the projecting end of the wire and bears against the plate.Between the plate and the shaft 43 is a coil spring 65 normally tendingto hold the plate in a rela tion such that the spring 26 can move thearm 25 into position where the rail for establishing first and reversedrives is latched. The opening 64 is larger in diameter than the shaft43, allowing a limited tilting of the plate before it is stopped byengagement with the shaft. The plate 65 is provided with oppositelydisposed ears 666 through which the end 63 of the hand lever projects;and one of the ears and the adjacent portion of the hand lever areirregular in form, as indicated at 61, to fix the same so that they willrotate together. lever is swung in a lateral direction toward the left;as viewed in Fig. 3, the plate 65 will be tilted to the right at itsforward portion carrying therewith the wire Gll which will transmitmovement to move the arm 25 in a forward direction and thereby cause thearm 23 to shift the selector member 29 away from the upper rail and intoengagement with the recess [9 in the lower rail. As a means of lockingthe selector mechanism in its position with either rail, a verticallyextending gate flange Z9 is provided on one of the brackets 4! thatoverlies a portion of the actuator plate 65 With this form of H theposition of the selector member 20.

The shaft 45 is supported by a Between Due to this connection, when thehand and is provided with a slot 1| through which a tongue 12 on theactuator can pass while the hand lever is in neutral position. When thehand lever is moved to rotate therod 43 in either direction away fromneutral position, then the flange will serve to block the tongue of theactuator member from pivotal movement that will change The plate islimited in its pivotal movement by the shaft it! so that the tongue 12will not pass beyond the upper and lower extremities of flange l0. Thusone of the brackets 4| is utilized for mounting the actuator shaft 43and as a lock-out means for the connector plate 65 to prevent shiftingof the rail that is in latched relation prior to coming to neutral orunlatched relation.

Whenthe hand lever is in the intermediate vertical position, as shown inFig. l, the rails are in springs 86 and 26 will actuate the selectormechanism to hold the selector member 28 in engagem nt with the upperrail whereby the hand lever id can be moved up or down to shift thelower rail forwardly or rearwardly to thereby obtain either high orsecond speed forward drive through the gearing. When first or reversedrive through the gearing is desired then the hand lever must be shiftedlaterally to the left to move the actuator 55 to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 3, and in so shifting the actuator 65 the handlever must be in intermediate position, that is neutral position, inorder for the tongue 12 to pass through the recess H in the gate flange'Hl. With the actuatorli' in such position the wire 50 hasoperated thearm 2'5 to rotate the shaft 24 and rock the arm 25 to move the latchmember 20 into the recess IS in the lower rail l8, whereupon the handlever can then be moved vertically to the two extreme positions shown inFig. l and thereby shift the lower rail to obtain first or reverse drivethrough the gearing.

The mechanism herein described for controlling the change speedmechanism is entirely clear of the interior of the vehicle body that maybe desired for passenger space with the exceptionof the short hand leverthat projects from under the instrument board. The control mechanism isreadily operable due to the manipulation of a single lever and shiftscan be readily made. There will be no danger of shifting the changespeed mechanism whereby any other than the desired shift will take placeat any time. The mechanism forming the subject matter of the inventionis relatively simple in construction when it isconsidered that it mustlead from the interior of the body to the casing of the change gearmechanism without being in sight or within the space occupied by theoccupants of the body.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous otherapplications which will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. Theinvention is therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a change speed gear mechanism, a pair of parallel rails axiallymovable to select the gear ratio, a selector element slidably mounted toengage and lock either rail, actuator mechanism connected to theslidably mounted element, a shift member pivotally connected adjacentits ends tosaid rails, mechanism including interconnected rotatablymounted shaft members op erable to swing said shift member about thepivot on a locked rail, a wire operable to actuate said element actuatormechanism, and means operable to selectively actuate said wire or saidshift member swinging mechanism.

2. In change speed gear mechanism, a pair of shift rails, means axiallymovable to selectively lock either of said rails, mechanism including awire operable to actuate said locking means, a member operable to shiftthe unlocked rail, means including a rod operable to actuate saidmember, a hand lever, and means connecting said hand lever to said lockactuating mechanism and to said member operating means, said hand leverbeing operable by movement in one direction to move the wire axially andby movement in another direction to rotate the rod.

3. In a motor vehicle, a pair of change speed gearing shift rails,mechanism for selectively,

latching either one of said rails, axially movable means for actuatingsaid selective rail latching mechanism, rail shiftin mechanism, arotatably mounted rod operable to actuate said rail shifting mechanism,a hand lever pivoted to and operable to rotate said rod, a fixed gatemember, and means connecting the axially movable means with the handlever, said connecting means having a tongue portion cooperating withsaid gate to lock said rail latching mechanism While the rod is beingactuated to shift the unlatched rail.

l. In a motor vehicle driving gear control having a selector mechanismand shift mechanism including a shaft, the combination of a fixedbearing bracket for the shaft having a slotted gate flange, an actuatorlever pivoted to the shaft, and a plate connection fixed to the leverfor ac tuating the selector mechanism, said plate connection having aportion adapted to pass through the slot in the gate flange and toengage the gate flange when moved to either side of said slot to lockthe selector mechanism.

5. In a motor vehicle driving gear control having a selector mechanismand shift mechanism including a shaft, the combination of a handoperated lever pivotally mounted on the shaft to actuate the selectormechanism and rotatable to actuate the shift mechanism, a connectorplate movable with the lever and connected in operative relation withthe selector mechanism, and spring means engaging said plate to normallyurge it and the lever connected thereto toward one extreme position oftheir pivotal movement.

6. In a motor vehicle driving gear control, a

selector mechanism including a wire, a shift' mechanism including ashaft, a hand lever pivoted on the shaft of the shift mechanism, and aplate fixed to the hand lever and operatively engaging said wire, saidplate having an opening through which the shaft extends of a sufficientsize to permit the plate to pivot with the hand lever.

7. In a motor vehicle driving change speed gearing having a pair ofshiftable rails, control mechanism for the rails comprising a latchengageable with either rail, mechanism including ,a wire for actuatingsaid latch to selectively engage either rail, mechanism for shifting therails including a rotatable shaft, means fixed to said and the lever,

8. In a motor vehicle driving change speed gearing having a pair ofshiftable elements, control mechanism for the elements comprisingmechanism operable to selectively latch either element in stationaryposition, a pair of rotatable parallel shafts connected by linkage forshifting, the unlatched element, a manually operable lever pivoted toone of the shafts to rotate the same, and a connector between the latchmechanism pivotal movement of the lever actuating the connector tooperate said latch mechanism. l

9. A control mechanism for a pair of shiftable elements in a motorvehicle change speed drive gearing comprising a pair of rotatablymounted shafts arranged one above the other, arms fixed to the shafts, alink connecting the arms, means actuated by the lower shaft for shiftingeither of said elements upon rotation of said upper shaft, a leveroperable to rotate the upper shaft, latch means for selectively engagingeither of said shiftable elements, a wire adjacent the shafts and theirconnections for controlling said latch means, and means connecting saidwire with the lever in a relation to be actuated thereby.

10. In a change speed gear mechanism, a pair of parallel rails axiallymovable to establish a plurality of driving speed ratios, a lock elementmounted for shiftable selective engagement with either rail, actuatormechanism connected to said lock element, a shift member pivotallyconnected adjacent its ends to said rails, mechanism connected to saidshift member and operable to swing the same on the pivot to a lockedrail to shift the other rail, a wire connected to the actuatormechanism, and hand operated means connected to said wire and said shiftmember op- I erating mechanism and operative to selectively actuateeither.

11. In a motor vehicle driving gear control, a pair of speed ratiocontrol rails, selector mechanism operable to lock either one of therails, mechanism operable to actuate either rail when unlocked, a commonactuator for said mechanisms movable in one direction to actuate one ofthe mechanisms and movable in another direction to actuate the othermechanism, and means cooperating with said selector mechanism tomaintain it in rail locking relation during operation of the railactuating mechanism except in neutral position.

12. In a motor vehicle driving gear control, a pair of speed ratiocontrol rails,'selector mechanism operable to lock either of said rails,a wire operable to actuate said selector mechanism, mechanism forshifting an unlocked rail, a pivoted hand lever operable to actuate saidshifting mechanism when rotated, a connector plate carried by andmovable with said hand lever, said wire extending through said plate,and a retainer fixed to the end of said wire projecting through theplate and bearing against the plate, rocking movement of said hand leveron its pivot controlling said wire and the. selector mechanism.

FRANK C. BEST.

